Requiem
by Sol Hiryu
Summary: OneShot After her experience in the Dark Ocean, Kari wonders if she is truly as strong as people think. Kari's POV


Author's Notes: I thank everyone who gave me advice on my last story. When I was writing **Reminiscence**, I was trying to have TK's view of past events while trying to have an introspective view on him. Unfortunately, it seems I concentrated too much on the past, and not enough character. A revision of it may come soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

So, here comes my next fic:

**Requiem**:

I wished to be strong, so I wouldn't have to depend on everybody all the time.

I know; it's pretty selfish of me to wish something like that...But I can't help it. It only took me yesterday to realize that I have been weak all this time.

When I think of weakness, I always think of my early childhood. Most of the time, I was stricken with an illness that prevented me from doing any strenuous activities. However, I never let that get to me, I was determined to get up and prove that I wasn't going to let my illness get the best of me. At one point in the past, my big brother, Tai, came home when no one but me was there. At his urging, I went outside to play soccer with him, despite how sick I was. What I got was a trip to the emergency room.

On another note, Tai later asked "Who leaves a sick child at home alone, anyway?" Strangely enough, I agreed with him.

But that is away from the point. I figured from my early childhood, I have always tried to prove to myself and others I wasn't weak. That was hard, considering I was sick for an undetermined amount of time. However, that all changed when I met Gatomon.

After Wizardmon's death, the first time where I got my Digivice and Crest, Gatomon digivolved into Angewomon for the first time. The sight of a beautiful angel somehow gave me new found strength within myself...I couldn't explain the rush I felt when she struck Myotismon down with a Celestial Arrow.

After the defeat of VenomMyotismon, Tai said we had to return to the Digital World to save it. Inwardly, I was excited that I could go. It would finally give me the chance to prove to my brother that I was just as strong as he was.

Unfortunately, I fell really ill after we beat Puppetmon. I was being a burden to the group, a dead weight. Tai was freaking out during that time period, from what Sora has told me. He even threatened to beat up Izzy if he didn't find medicine quickly enough. That was the least of their problems, though, since Machinedramon was breathing right down their necks.

About that time, some kind of energy seemed to exit me. Numerous Numemon (and Andromon too) started calling me 'Queen'. Personally, these powers scare me. From my experience, it was this power that made me sick most of the time, and when I expelled it, it seemed to make me feel better. I have no way of understanding how my power works, or how to harness it...

I thought I was getting stronger afterwards...but then we ran into Piedmon. He turned everyone except for TK, Angemon, and I into keychains. I was so weak back then, I nearly lost Gatomon...If it wasn't for TK and MagnaAngemon though, our whole adventure into the Digital World would've ended right there.

On my, I have digressed again. Anyway, what has led me to this disturbing train of thought about myself?

The Dark Ocean.

I had never been so frightened in my whole life...Not even when we faced Apoclyamon. Why was I so frightened? What led me to that horrible place?

I didn't know when I started having weird dreams of scaly monsters...Something about their voices kept me awake at night. My mother said I probably had a light case of insomnia when I couldn't get to sleep afterwards, but that wasn't it...I was afraid to go back to sleep.

It was the next day at school that I felt something was off. I kept phasing in and out of two dimensions, from what TK and Izzy have told me. When I went down to the nurse's office to get some rest, I saw the monster from my dreams again. At that moment, I felt like I was in a cheesy horror movie...only, every moment of it was real.

For some reason, I felt the ocean calling me. So, after school, I walked towards the beach...

...And I suddenly found myself in a gloomy, black-and-white world. The lighthouse was the creepiest thing there, it was a beacon of pure darkness...I quickly got away from it, I couldn't concentrate while I was around it.

The next hour was a huge blur for me...I remember walking into some sort of cave, where I met the strange, scaly creatures that were haunting me in my dreams. They were Scubamon, leading me to believe I was in the Digital World. They asked that I lead them to shore, they wanted to get in the water again. Me, being the naturally kind person I am, agreed.

I quickly lead them to the ocean, I wanted to get out of their presence as soon as I could. Something was telling me that these weren't really Digimon, something was off about them...

I was right, they weren't Digimon at all. They transformed into some kind of shadowy creature, and they were intent on offering me to their master, the huge dark creature that lurked beyond the fog. I cursed myself for my weakness again...This time, it was going to lead to my destruction...

But then, the unexpected happened...TK, Pegasusmon, and Gatomon came to rescue me. It turned out that TK was so determined to rescue me that he forced his way into the Dark Ocean. 

However, their arrival wouldn't go unnoticed. An Airdramon quickly found them and started attacking...It was hard to see the dark ring around its neck, everything was covered in darkness...

I didn't want to stay in the Dark Ocean anymore! I wanted to get out of there...Any way I could.

That's when something impossible happened. Gatomon digivolved into Angewomon and not only held off Airdramon, but she also destroyed the Control Spire that was disguised as a lighthouse.

That triggered our trip back into the real world. I was so happy to be back, it was far warmer here then in the Dark Ocean. TK stayed with me for a few hours after that, waiting to see if I was alright before he took his leave.

I was depressed later that night. Although I escaped the shadowy creatures, I still couldn't help but feel that if I wasn't so weak, I wouldn't have been drawn into that place in the first place. However, that gave rise to a question that had been plaguing me for a short while...How was Gatomon able to digivolve without the Crest of Light?

Gatomon answered my unspoken question almost immediately. She said it was my strength and determination to get out of the Dark Ocean that made her digivolve. Somehow, I knew that wasn't all there was to it, but I just accepted her explanation anyway...it made me feel better and less shaken. I finally got my long-awaited sleep afterwards.

And so, I am here sitting on a park bench, thinking about past events. Just reminiscing about yesterday brought a distant, but clear memory to my mind. The memory of when I first saw Angewomon, and the feelings of excitement that coursed through me.

...I guess I had been so wrapped up in my own self-pity that I couldn't really see what I had really been doing all this time. I've helped the new digidestined with freeing Digimon, and I've stood in the face of several vicious Digimon without fear...Was that really strength? I do not know.

Well, I guess I have been sitting here for long enough. Whether I am strong enough to face the trials ahead remains a mystery to me, however. But I do pledge that I will continue to do my utmost to finally bring an end to the Digimon Emperor.

But...

Why am I getting the chills all of a sudden? Is there some other darkness out there that we are not aware of?

Why must everything be so complex?

**End**

Whew, finished. That one was tough, Kari's character is pretty hard to write. I'm not sure if this one turned out that well; it's hard writing a fic from Kari's point of view when you have to remember episodes from the top of your head...

Since the Digimon canon timeline is not specified, I am assuming that there are a few days of rest between each episode that isn't a two part episode or story arc.

Is this a tie in with **Reminiscence**? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on the next fic I write.

Anyway, flames and Constructive Criticism is accepted and encouraged.


End file.
